In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Navarro and the second or maternal family name is Montoya.
Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya (born 26 February 1966) is a retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Colombia, Navarro Montoya represented the Colombia national team three times, and gained Argentine citizenship later in his career.
During a professional career which spanned 25 years, he represented teams in Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, appearing for 15 clubs (mainly Boca Juniors) and totalling more than 800 games across all competitions.
Club career
Nicknamed El Mono (monkey) whilst in Argentina, Navarro Montoya was born in Medellín, Colombia, and he started playing professionally in the former country at only 18, with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield. In 1988, after one year in his homeland with Independiente Santa Fe, he joined Boca Juniors, where he would rarely miss a game in nearly ten years – never played in fewer than 35 matches in his full seasons – also setting club records of consecutive games (180) and minutes without conceding a goal (824), and eventually appearing in 396 official games for the Xeneizes. His last appearance, however, ended in defeat, 1–3 at Club Atlético Banfield.[1]
Montoya rarely settled with a team in the following years, playing in his country of adoption but also in Brazil and Uruguay. On 10 July 2009, at the age of 43, he announced his retirement from professional football, stating: "It is 'goodbye', but also 'thank you'".[3]
In 1998 FIFA relented and allowed the player a special dispensation to play for Argentina but, at the age of 32, he was considered too old and never represented his adopted nation.
Coaching career
Montoya's first managerial experience was in Chacarita Juniors, from where he was sacked after only one win in six matches.[5]
In December 2013 he returned to Boca Juniors, this time as deputy director of the youth divisions and youth coach. He covered several roles, until he left his position on 16 September 2020.[6] On 23 September 2020 he took over the Club Deportivo Guadalajara of the Tercera División in Spain,[7] but was dismissed on 24 November after only five league games.[8]
